Conquering Sabrina (16 page)

“I still don’t know why you married Sabrina. I could have been so much better for you. I thought you would have come to your senses these last ten years, but you’ve done your worst to keep away from me.”

He could hear hysteria rise in her voice.

“You cast me away, remember. It was you who had the affairs. You who thought you could play me off with that playboy millionaire and his young brother just so you could snare one of us into marriage and get what you really wanted: money.”

Cressida snapped her hand quickly over the side of his face. He rubbed his jaw. His voice was cold and brutal.

“The truth hurts doesn’t it, Cressida. I don’t want you, I never have, and you’ve always known that, yet you still persist. You made Sabrina’s life hell before she disappeared. Just when she needed my support, you made her think we were having an affair. She asked me for a divorce the night of the ball and I refused. When I showed you out that night, I meant what I said that I never wanted to see you again in my house. And now you’re here, thanks to Luc. I want you to leave before the weather sets in bad again.”

“What if I refuse? Luc won’t hear of it,” she told him triumphantly. “Do you really want to cause an argument with him again when your mother is so ill? She has a hard time as it is keeping you two happy with each other.”

“If you refuse, I will put you on that helicopter myself. I don’t want you hurting Sabrina any more than you have. Now get out of my house.”

“I will make lots of trouble for you, Raoul.”

“You mean like the stunt you pulled this morning trying to convince Sabrina that we slept together last night. I suppose that was Luc in the shower helping you out. I don’t know what you two are up to. I should have realised when he convinced me to engage you as the architect on the holiday complex.”

He heard himself laugh at his naivety.

“I must have lost more than Sabrina when she disappeared. I thought I should give you a second chance. I thought ten years would have made a difference, not to mention your marriage. But I was obviously wrong. Your contract will be terminated.”

“You can’t do that. I’ll sue.”

Raoul looked at the woman he once thought he was in love with in his early twenties with contempt.

“Go ahead, but you might want to read the small print. I have already engaged another good architect, your sister Alexandra. You two should have stayed a team, but I gather she didn’t trust you either.”

He watched Cressida’s eyes cloud with moisture and felt a pang of guilt. But she deserved it for all the hurt she had caused Sabrina and their marriage. Her voice was choked.

“I don’t believe you don’t want me. What if I told you your precious Sabrina was having an affair with your brother before she so mysteriously disappeared?”

Raoul felt his blood move faster around his veins with anger as her words hit a chord, confirming the suspicions he hadn’t even wanted to consider.

Chapter Eleven

Sabrina engaged the help of the stable groom with saddling one of the horses. She walked the animal out onto the snow-covered courtyard and didn’t refuse the groom’s help in mounting the horse. It had been awhile and his assistance was greatly appreciated, although before her disappearance she would have been embarrassed. She had always been a competent rider, but she was rusty and it made her a little nervous. The groom didn’t know who she was; otherwise he probably would have stopped her from going off on her own, no doubt. Raoul appeared to have all the staff trained to watch out for any impending danger when she was around.

She took a breath and instructed the black mare to move off along the path and down into the grounds towards the partially frozen lake. She maintained a sedate walk at first, too nervous to try anything else until she gained more confidence. She moved slowly down the hill and began to walk around the lake. It was her usual route to take when riding on her own.

Everything was so peaceful and still under the snow. Seeing Raoul so coldly dismiss Cressida gave her new hope for their marriage. But his shock on hearing Cressida mentioned her possible affair left her pained and fearful. She just wanted a peaceful ride to clear her mind and plan her next move.

Woods lined both sides of the lake, revealing several secret sculptured fountains and marble men and women in Greek dress that would be hidden in the summer months in the generous green foliage of the trees. It took her forty-five minutes to walk the length of the canal and reach the wall that travelled around the grounds of the chateau.

It stood before her. A reminder of the barrier that crossed between the two lives that she was leading. Beyond the wall was her life as Sabrina Michaels in England and the other as Sabrina Valoire.

She laughed, remembering how she had jumped, forcing Raoul to do the same as she rode off down the lane that led into the village. He’d been so angry. She could have been thrown and gotten herself killed, he’d chastised. He probably had a point, but…

She broke the horse into a canter and soared up into the air over the metal gate, clearing it easily, and landed with a gentle crunch in the snow. She turned back and patted the horse’s neck in reward and laughed. She could still do it. She looked back at the fields of snow stretching out towards the village and remembered the last time she saw them, they were full of sunflowers and lavender, the air heavenly scented with perfume. It had been so warm that day. Raoul had chased her all the way into the village and they had laughed over fresh croissants, brioche rolls dusted with sugar, and warm café au lait when he eventually calmed down.

She felt her heart ache. Sabrina looked back at the gate, backed the animal up again, and soared over it. She heard someone clap with gloved hands and turned around quickly. Cressida sat on her horse, laughing.

“Bravo, Sabrina.”

“What do you want?”

“I want you to get back over that fence and ride off into the sunset, never to return,” she said coldly.

“Sorry, Cressida, no deal. My memory is coming back and I want to know more. I want my life back and I want Raoul. You are not taking him from me.”

Cressida rode closer until she stood next to Sabrina.

“I’m sorry, Sabrina darling, but I am going to do everything in my power to see that you don’t get it all. This time you aren’t going to get the man. If I were you, I would get over that fence. I told him about you and Luc and your little torrid affair.”

“Bitch. I never had an affair with Luc or anyone and you know it.”

“But he doesn’t know that. He’s too blind. He doesn’t see how inferior you really are. He’s too busy trying to let you down gently and get what he needs: a divorce. He can do so much better with me. I will be an asset to his business and social contacts.”

“You mean you will sleep with them. And probably dump him if a better offer comes along.”

Cressida reached out, tugged her fingers around Sabrina’s coat, and pulled her close.

“You are going to pay for this. If you won’t go voluntarily, then I’ll make you go myself.”

It was too late before Sabrina realised Cressida held a kitchen knife. She struggled with the woman, helplessly watching her reach down to cut the girth of Sabrina’s saddle. She hit the horse’s rump, making it gallop off carrying Sabrina, who fought hard to keep in the saddle. It was hopeless and she felt herself sliding. The whole world seemed to slip in slow motion as she lost contact with the horse and fell to the ground, the saddle falling with her.

Sabrina found herself alone. The wind was fierce and howling, making the snow fall hard and fast in all directions. She ached all over, but she could move everything without searing pain, apart from a dull ache in her ankle. She remembered the horse trampling over it and slowly sat up, frightened that it would be broken. A quick prod told her it wasn’t broken, but it was probably badly bruised.

She shivered uncontrollably and folded her arms around herself, rubbing furiously in a futile attempt to generate warmth in her body. The sky was almost dark and she was afraid. Memories of the dark room she’d been held in flashed across her mind with lightning speed making adrenaline pump inside her. It gave her the impetus to rise. Her legs felt like jelly and it was an effort to stand. With her arms around her, she looked around for the horse but it was nowhere to be seen. She hoped it had made its way back to the house both for safety and to raise the alarm.

She couldn’t make out where she was. The horse had taken her off into the wooded area on the opposite side from where Cressida cut the girth of her saddle. She was disoriented and her ankle throbbed now that she was standing on it. She couldn’t get her bearings. The house wasn’t visible from the bottom of the gardens as they dipped into a valley. If she could just make it out of the woods and to the lake, then all she had to do was follow it and it would lead her back to the house. Sabrina heard her teeth chatter noisily and felt her body become weak with the cold. If she didn’t get a move on, she would end up with hypothermia.

There was a mist gathering as she walked and the frosty wind blew hard against her face. She dragged her ankle, tears of pain gathering in her eyes as her body grew colder and weaker. After a while she realised that she was going around in circles and was totally lost. She sank down on the snow, exhausted, and then tried to pull herself up again. It was like trying to lug a heavy weight around. It seemed like an eternity before she heard her name being called.

Sabrina tried to call out, but her voice was hoarse and no sound came. So she drew on every ounce of strength she had left and began to walk in the direction of the voice. She crunched along in the snow, feeling her feet slide precariously over its surface, and then stopped abruptly, hearing another set of feet pad behind her. She turned around quickly, feeling her body tense with apprehension.

“Who’s there? Raoul?” she cried out in a small voice.

The bare wood was silent apart from the wind. All she could hear was a bird fluttering its wings on a nearby branch and the howl of the ferocious wind. She turned around and made her movement faster than before. The footsteps were closing in on her. She gave a cry, feeling someone near. It was the same feeling that night in the study and in the dark dungeon she’d been locked away in from the world. The presence surrounded and suffocated her with horrible fleeting memories that disoriented her further and blocked her progress. The voice was growing distant. She gave a sob and cried out.

There was silence and then the voice sounded again, stronger this time, growing near. She managed to make a desperate cry in response, just as she felt the man come behind her and lunge for her body, knocking her to the ground. He turned her over and she struggled for her life. Sabrina tried to see his face as he pinned her to the ground, but it was covered.

There were more footsteps and the man looked up to see Raoul running for him at top speed, shouting at him in French. The man jumped off Sabrina and defended himself as Raoul tackled him using every technique she’d last seen in her kickboxing class at the University. But the man broke free and ran off through the trees. Raoul hesitated, wanting to go after him, but appeared reluctant to leave Sabrina in her present state. He let the man go and bent down to look at her as she tried to stand in her wet clothes.

He touched her face with his fingertips and looked at her with surprise when she pushed his hand away.

“You are so cold and wet, Sabrina, and you are shivering. We need to get you warm.”

He helped her to her feet.

“Sabrina, you can hardly walk. What’s wrong with your leg?”

He was taking her arm again, this time more firmly, so when she tried to move away, it was impossible.

“It’s my ankle. The horse trampled on it when I fell.”

The wind blew harshly against their bodies, nearly knocking Sabrina off balance. Raoul caught her as she swayed.

“I can manage.”

She stood before him, her voice drowsy, her teeth chattering. She backed away, determined that he should not have to worry about her all the time, but he was too fast and he was lifting her up over his shoulder and carrying her to his horse through the trees.

He moved as fast as he could through the snow, aware that her body was all of a sudden becoming still and her consciousness was beginning to slip. He kept her alert by talking to her and demanding answers.

“Sabrina, Sabrina, wake up,” he snapped, shaking her legs.

He shouted again and her eyes flew wide open. White flakes of snow settled against her cheek and forehead, but were hardly recognisable against the growing paleness of her skin.

“Why did you leave and come out here on your own? No, Sabrina, you must stay awake.”

“I’m so tired. I just want to close my eyes just for a minute.”

“No, answer me.”

“I just wanted to clear my head with some fresh air.”

He shook his head and growled.

“I was worried. Don’t leave my side again. Sabrina, stay awake.”

Sabrina’s eyes closed and then opened again. She could see the horse now, although not much else was visible in the strengthening mist. At least the wind was beginning to die. They would both be easy targets.

“Sabrina, wake up; you can’t sleep. You need to keep awake, Sabrina.”

Raoul gave her bottom a sharp slap. Every time she closed her eyes, his hand spanked her sharply.

Her eyes snapped open wide again.

“Why won’t you let me sleep, Raoul?”

“Why were you thrown from your horse?”

Sabrina frowned.

“Cressida. She had a knife. She cut my saddle and made the horse bolt.”

“Sabrina, I need you awake. Look, we’ve nearly reached the horse.”

“Ok. I’ll try, just one minute to sleep.”

Her words earned her bottom another harsh slap, making her cry out.

“Sabrina, why did Cressida hurt you?”

“She wants you. She said you want to be together. And if I wouldn’t go voluntarily, she would make me. She said she would tell you I had an affair with Luc, but I never did.”

“Sabrina, I know you never had an affair, darling. Come on, wake up, we’ve reached the horse.”